AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Well, I got up and left the house with my DW Foamies BAF 48" Yak 54 and my Tiger 2 electric conversion plane in my back seat with plenty of batteries to fly. Temp, a chilly 33'F. Got over to a sod farm that people are flying regularly at over by Eagle Road, and no one was there, but the wind wasn't up yet. Perfect. Flew the Yak for about 4 packs, and had a great time. Wind coming up a bit and my hands are freezing. But I decide to try the Tiger. Hum, forgot my ch 30 module for the plane...sigh. Ok, lets rob the Rx from my Yak. Got it all pulled out and switched over and set all the radio up (first time it has been setup on this new Futaba 9CAPs). Also got the CoG set about 4" back. Hum, ailerons seem to be binding a little. Oh well, lets fly. Full throttle on the 5S1P 4000mAh pack, and it is off like a rocket. Hum...seems tail heavy...and WTF! it wants to roll left ok, I now have full right aileron to try to keep it in the air. Keeps pitching up...trying desperately to get trim set. Long story short, I managed to bring it back around and land safely after a couple terrifying minutes. Turns out, the control horn on the aileron servo was stripped, and it was slipping when I got to full throws..which means it wanted to return to center with a LOT of opposite throw...and to get it to click back, I was having to push the aileron full right to push it back (pretty unnatural response when it was wanting to push the wrong way). Got that fixed and should be good to go...I hope.

OSD Pro Screen Elements

I took a sample screen of my Eagle Tree Systems On Screen Display (OSD) and highlighted what each element of the display is telling you. Just hover over the large image below.

Flying in the sun

Got some video of my Yak 54 from DW Foamies today. Thanks to my wonderful wife for video taping! Here is an iPhone version. Also, here is an iPhone version of me flying the pluma.

FPV 13 - Crash!

Well, in an attempt to get the 3dbi video Tx antenna moved as far away from the servos and Rx as I could, I ran an SMA 24" extension cable out to the end of the wing and put the antenna on there. Figured it would be a little unbalanced, but not completely uncontrollable. Also was a little worried it was running the exact same direction as my Rx antenna (grin). Field check showed it ok for interferance and I powered it up and hucked it. Ouch. I'll get the SHORT video uploaded soon, but I'm gluing things...nothing too serious, I don't think, but it hit straight in and busted the camera clean off the mount and found it lying 25 feet away...and there might be a slight blemish on the lens. Oh, well, was looking for an excuse to get a 2.8mm lens with a little wider angle anyway.

Bright Shiny Day!!!

Well, I put the 3dbi longer antenna on the Video Tx (compared to the slightly shorter 2dbi one). I get all sorts of servo jitter and massive interference. Hum...it goes away when I unplug the video power, and is almost completely cleared up when I go back to the 2dbi Tx.

I may have to just move to a flying wing like everyone else here and separate everything out really far. I'm still not happy with how tough it is to get everything crammed into my new EZ* with the modified belly hatches. And I think I need more lift (grin). I got just short of a mile out on my last flight, and looking at my elogger, with my 5.5x4.5 prop on that Turnigy 2835 2700kv brushless inrunner, I'm putting out just over 250W on 3S and I can basically climb just a little over 1ft/mAh. Meaning I'm not going to be able to get much over 2700ft AGL with just this one 2600mAh battery on a 40oz AUW plane and this lift. I need to step it up, get a folding prop outrunner with more lift and more separation. Maybe this Zephyr?

Video is up at YouTube (working on getting less lossy video up on Vimeo). Look for FPV #10, #11 and #12.

Also have a smaller local MP4 for iPhone's fpv#10 and fpv#11.

Here is a picture of my FPV #10 flight. You can see altitude/mAh track pretty well 1:1 (both on the left axis - cummulative mAh is in blue and Altitude AGL is in green).

Latest FPV!!!

Had my best two FPV experiences to date late yesterday. Fixed the issues with the video I was having and sounds like it is a problem with the hardware and ground loop with the pan servos. Weather was beautiful and there were big puffy low clouds all around. My elevator servo has been slowly striping out, and I was getting worried it was really bad, but it was giving me about 15% of movement (grin) and I wanted to fly. Got two separate flights in on two 2600mAh lipos. Was running full out most of the time, trying to get up over 3000 ft. Also tested out my new plan for fail safes and RTH testing on a single switch (it all worked GREAT). Need to get my head tracker from China when they get back in stock, but the pan/tilt worked great on my analog sliders on the raido. I took some time on the 5 minute glide down to just look around and stuff. That was cool.

Unfortunately, my computer is dead right now, and can’t download video from my Sony mini-DV camera, and my wife's computer doesn't seem to recognize the firewire connection under Vista Home Premium (there are a million threads that complain about this) so hopefully can get that this weekend (I'm going to try to install a version of Ubuntu Linux from a bootable CD and see if that works.

There is SO MUCH going on during FPV flight, I think I need to start having a check list and a flight plan. I don’t have time to see everything, and I’m not sure what my max distance was or how high. So, I’m eager to review the video. Will get it posted up here soon.

Meanwhile, here is video from last weekend with all the video problems...

This is FPV!!!

Amazing video compilation of some FPV footage from a guy (Trappy, on RCG) in a mountain town in Austria. Wow. Click the pic for youtube or expand below to watch in better resolution on Vimeo here in a window.

What is FPV? from Raphael Pirker on Vimeo.

Eagle Eyes Telemetry and Antenna Tracking!!!

Eagle Tree Systems (the one that provides my GPS and on screen display overlay as well as data logging for my FPV setup) has been working hard to get a ground station setup that has built in antenna tracking control, remote telemetry and video diversity (picks best of two separate receivers for video). I spent over $150 for a basic video diversity already by itself, and this new unit from ET has that plus all the tracking and antenna tracking for only $89. Anyway, this is what I’ve been waiting for since this last summer to help with longer range flights. Note, it is mostly just the electronics. You still have to buy the 9dbi square patch antenna, the receivers and actual servo tracker (all expensive, but most FPV already has all of this).

The way the diversity system works, is you typically run one Rx on a 3dbi omni antenna that is non directional (but the coverage looks sort of like a 3D donut that spreads out from the antenna, with pretty significant fall off directly above the antenna, represented by the hole), and another antenna on a second Rx that is more of a directional high gain (either a zaggi or patch). This coverage is more of a cone shape that originates at the antenna and spreads out in a 15 degree window, but it has much higher gain/distance. Again, problem is, it is very directional. So, you run 2 receivers for coverage. In close, the omni picks up great 360’ around you. Out far, as long as you keep the antenna pointed at the plane (that is where this servo antenna tracking setup comes handy), the directional picks up. Then you run everything through a video processor that picks the best video signal and switches between then in 25ms response. Since I have a diversity switch I already bought, I’ll probably cascade them for 3 full antenna types (2 omnis, one at 90-degrees from the other).

EagleEyes Pan/Tilt tracking demo from Bill Parry on Vimeo.

Update (2/27/2010): Got my Eagle Eyes and Ready Made RC Antenna Pan/Tilt in and built. Had some problems with the Hitec HS-465HB servo used for the pan, and had to go with an HS-645MG, which almost doubles the torque at 133oz-in. Need to probably look at getting a second lighter 900MHz video Rx, which would really help, I think. Either that, or I pull the side-car off that has the second 900MHz Rx and lipo and put it down below. Just have to figure out how to route 2 12V power cords and 3 RCA cables then, without them wrapping around the tripod and catching on anything (that tripod tilt handle has to go). I think this is probably what I need to do after a lot more thinking. Anyway, video below.

DW Foamies BAF Yak 48"

I finally went ahead and got one of the DW Foamies 48" Yak 54. Going to run my Turnigy 35-42C 1100kv motor in it with a 40A Turnigy ESC and either an APC 11x5.5E or 12x6E prop. Probably try to pick up some 1800mAh 3S1P Lipo's for light flight, but 2200mAh will be normal. Want to also try 4S 2200mAh. Went with 4 hitec HS-65HB servos, which are a little spendy, but not as much as the metal gear ones. I'll keep this section updated with the build thread. Final AUW with landing gear and no battery is 26oz. Including the 2650mAh 3S1P Lipo, it is 34oz. The 4S1P lipo is slightly lighter by half an ounce.


Update 2/7/10: Finished the build and couldn't stand it anymore. It has begun blowing more and more all day. The plane wants to hover just below 2/3rds throttle and it buffets the tail pretty good from the air over the APC 11x5.5E prop. I need to put my Eagle Tree eLogger v3 on it to check currents and power (see below), but seems good. I maidened it inspite of the wind. It feels heavy. I may have to try the 2200mAh lipos. Also may need to move the wings to the center slot (they are all the way back right now). Flew straight and pretty well behaved with only a couple clicks of trim. Wind was really gusting, but it was well behaved (seemed to have some tip stall when trying to do elevators with no power). I'll have to try it without the wind.

Update (2/8/10): Peak power is 456W, but sustained is ~420W on 3S1P with the 11x5.5E prop and ~35A draw. Something seems wrong with the 4S1P, though, because peak power was 451W (sustained around 420W again) with peak current at 32A and sustained around 28A. Motor also seemed slugish to respond going to full power from 1/8th throttle. I may need to play with timings.

Update (2/9/10): Wind was calm when I came home at 5:15PM tonight (super early for me), and there was still some sunlight. So I grabbed my radio and the Yak and ran across the street. Anyway, this thing does elevators like nobody's business (has a tendancy to want to roll/turn right, which is the Lipo side, both inverted and upright, so I think that is a big part of it, I'll have to check lateral balance). I normally fly in a single lot small park space (ok, it is really just a big drain area for high rains), but it has houses and trees on all sides, so it gets tight real fast. I suck even more than I thought on 3D with this plane (at least my smaller sub-8oz planes I could float and play with...this one really moves and feels heavy compared to them). I ran a 2200mAh 4S on a 11x5.5E, and W-O-W. It moves. Actually swamps the ailerons even with HS-65HB's. I have the wing in the far back position and CG is right on the spar. Even there, the precision on this plane is pretty obvious. Nice lines.

Now, my problem. I do tight loops with full throws, and it is pretty nice and well behaved. But doing waterfalls and tight outside loops it really does a roll left tendancy. I'm sure I'm flexing somewhere, because backing off the throws to about half doesn't have the same bad tendancies. Any hints from anyone where to start to look at this? Maybe the lipo off balance to the right is to blame like the elevator maneuver suggests and a tight loop is enough to stall the wing and cause it to roll. Flies pretty good both slow/fast and upright and inverted, so I think the CG is pretty good and trims nice.

Need to get some more time on this plane. Hope I can get some video I'm not embarrased to actually share soon.

Update (2/10/10): Have definately confirmed that the lateral balance isn't great on this plane with the lipo being the most likely cause. I think the full stall up elevator glide (elevators maneuver) tendancy to drop the right side into a turn both inverted and upright are the biggest clue it is the lipo lateral balance.

Update (2/12/10): Got data recorder connected to gather real time data while flying on 4S1P and 3S1P (both 2200mAh) with APC 11x5.5E prop. Unlike the static measurements, this one shows the 4S peaking at 550W (typical full throttle bursts ~520W) and max 39.93A (typical full throttle bursts ~38A). Compared to 3S which typically ran 280W during full throttle bursts and 29A.







Original packaging from DW Foamies came in super trashed. Most of the contents were ok, but had a couple of the parts creased and dented when looked a little closer. Mike from DW Foamies was super to work with and got me replacement parts out very quick!

Showing some of the damage on the spare sheets of 9mm depron.

Wings pinned and doing the aileron hinges. This is after doing the 45' bevel on the aileron surface and 15' bevel on the wing mating for some good throws. I sort of messed up here, as I had been wanting to try the welders glue hinge trick, but turns out the welders eats some of the depron. It wasn't bad, but it did gap a little on the really thin parts of the bevel. Hinge is good and strong, though, and I don't think it is going to be a problem, just more superficial than anything.

Close ups of the gap that formed from the glue.

Another close up. I think doing the welders glue on EPP would be great and I'll probably try it on my Piaget next time, but will just do the blenderm tape if I were ever to do this depron again.

Left wing with aileron hinge taped over the welders (probably didn't need to do this) and the spare CA'ed in and taped over with blenderm. Also shows the color tape that I'm planning to do. There is a great thread on RCGroups.com that covers doing this, including some tricks for the checker board.

Picture of how you start out with the checker pattern.

The fuselage with some of the spare checkers from the wing to be used on the vertical stab.

Picture with all the checkers finished.

Final pics of the scheme with the left side red stripe and all the vinyl decals. Yes, I screwed up the "YAK ATTACK" decal (put it on facing the wrong way, AND it gets covered by the horizontal part of the fuse too...sigh).

Final scheme test fit together before gluing. The vinyl really adds some good lines and looks great.

Another picture before gluing from the left side. Hopefully the red will add some good contrast when I'm practicing my rolling harriers. The bottom is all plane white.

Getting the servos mounted and setting the throws.
More pictures of the rear servos.

Left side routing of the servo wires from the rear (including 9" extensions), which were hot-glued to secure them. Turnigy Sentry 40A ESC also pictured.

Putting the Turnigy 3542C 1100kv motor mount on (total motor and hardware weight was 6.1oz).

Left side of plane bottom while mounting the landing gear.

Right side of plane landing gear. I'm running some 1-3/4" super light 4.5g foam tires.

Everything done and the landing gear on.

ETOC Freestyle

This is just about the coolest indoor 3D flying I've seen. I still want to get a 48" BAF Yak 54 from DWFoamies.com. Not that it is anything like flying what is below, but it works better for me to fly at the park.

Easy Star Mark ][ (update)

Took it out for a windy/chilly maiden flight today (using the old wings, since the ailerons had been all repaired). CG is still a little too far back for basic flight, even with 3300mAh lipo in, but if flew just fine (actually did some pretty nice soaring). I may see how it does with the two 2650mAh 3S1P's in parallel (yes, that is a 3S2P). Flight times would be pretty long (flew over 25 minutes on the 3300mAh).



Update (2/21/2010): Got the rest of the camera pod, servos, and FPV wiring all done today. Needed a couple 9" extension servos wires, but everything is working. Powered it up, and have the backup battery harness via the 5v regulator from the 12V 3S video LIPO wired in too. Have dedicated AUX1/2 inputs now, and have the pan/tilt configured on the Futaba 9CAPs left/right sliders. It seems to work awesome. AUW is just under 40oz with everything (including 2650mAh and 640mAh lipos). Tilt linkage on the camera is a bit loose/wobbly, so I need to put a bigger "hinge" wire through, I think and probably fix some of the "lash". Now, just need Bill from ET to get the "store GPS waypoint" options and autopilot to waypoints working. Oh, and to get my Eagle Eyes ground station and tracker ordered.

Easy Star Mark ][

Began work on the new FPV airframe (a new grey wing colored Multiplex Easy Star). One thing I really wanted to do, after learning a lot from the first one, was to put the elevator and rudder servos (Hitec HS-81's in this case) embedded in the tail section and to put most of the electronics in the fuselage beneath the wings. This should move the CoG back quite, which was needed for larger 3000+ maH LiPo in addition to the pan/tilt camera pod and to allow a lot more space for in the front hatch and (hopefully) clean up a lot of the massive amounts of wiring with the Eagle Tree Systems OSD Pro, eLogger, GPS, Altimeter, Mic and all the cabling daisy chained from the Rx to the OSD Pro for Return to Home (RtH) operation (sort of like autopilot when you lose radio contact).


Build Log
First, I got all the parts out and cleared some space on my work table to begin building the Easy Star II.


I began with cutting in the elevator and ruder servo holes into the tail portion of the fuselage.


Next, I began planning the cuts for the hatches in the bottom to open up the belly and cargo area where the bulk of the electronics would be fit as well as the receiver. I decided to keep the two pockets separate, for strength, and opened up two cargo hatches in the bottom.


It takes careful slicing away and matching up and slowly augering out the interior.


I beveled the cuts, so that when I got done, I could glue the pieces I removed together for the hatch cover and so that it would not push into the cavity. I also cut small notches in the cross braces of the center of the fuselage to run the tail mounted servo wires up through.


I also had planned to cut an air scoop in the front to help cool the lipo and electronics (seen here).


Finally, I glued the hatch pieces together, and put packing tape on one side to act like a hinge (after cutting a small finger hole out to make it easy to open). I also cut an exhaust hole to allow the air to push out of from the scoop in the front. Also, glued small rare earth magnets to the bottom of the fuse and the hatch covers so that they snap firmly in place and hold. I was actually very pleased with how strong and positive and seemless the hatches snap back into place.


Next, I began test fitting the OSD, eLogger, altitude sensor, microphone, and all the servo extensions from the OSD to the Rx, as well as the video and audio in/out feeds. I'll also have 2 tempsensors as well as one more batter monitor for the video batt and the GPS connection.


I put labels on the connectors, as it begins to quickly get messy and disorganized, especially once you pull stuff out later to refit. I also found I had to cut out more of the bracing between the bays to allow the OSD Pro to sit snuggly in there and pass all the cabling easily through to the forward bay, where I was placing the Rx.


Finally, with most of the test fitting of the electronics all done, and seeming like it was going to work ok. I went ahead and glued the two fuse halfs together and put the tail feathers on and connected the servos. I always have to trim the rudder up a little, because I don't get as much authority out of the elevator throw if I don't. I'm not planning to do anything with the rudder (a lot of folks put a larger one on for more turn authority, but with the aileron mod I'm planning, I never found a great need for more rudder control before). I am disappointed, however, after all these years, that they have not gone with a longer portion of the vertical stab being rudder (and making it about twice as deep on the surface).


Next was the motor and ESC. I had problems last time with the motor twisting in the motor mount, so I just put a drop of CA on the 3 points that touch the motor from the foam to hold it. I also cut a slight flat spot on the top to put the velcro that holds the ESC and cut a channel down the pod face for the wires to fit in with the canopy and/or the easy camera pod on.


While I still have to build the camera pod, put all the electronics in and get the aileron mods cut (as well as the GPS mounted in the wing), went ahead and got the wings finished, as well as magnets at the wing butt to hold them together (this really helped the old one, as the wing jig-saw fit gets loose after time). Also got the cockpit setup with just a tab at the front and rare earth magnets at the back, so either the canopy or the easy camera pod can fit on.


After putting the Rx, motor, 2600mAh 3S1P Lipo, and all the stuff for "basic" flight in, the CG is about half an inch too far to the back, even with the lipo all the way toward the front. Should be perfect once everything is in. AUW in this basic configuration is 26oz.


I am planning on putting some small wooden dowl/rods down the sides where the push rods were suppose to go (not carbon fiber rods, as those steal precious RF signal). I'm also not sure if I will try to fill in the original servo placement holes or not.